By Natalia Rueda 
The much-anticipated test flight of SpaceX’s Starship rocket came to a dramatic end Thursday morning, as the powerful rocket exploded in midair before the separation phase. The launch took place off the South Texas coast at 9:28 a.m. ET, and marked the first test flight of the vehicle. SpaceX had been optimistic about the flight, with CEO Elon Musk tweeting “Mars, here we come!!” shortly before the launch.
Unfortunately, the rocket did not reach the separation phase and instead exploded in midair. “As if the flight test wasn’t exciting enough, Starship underwent an unscheduled rapid disassembly prior to the separation phase,” SpaceX tweeted shortly after the incident.
SpaceX has yet to release an official statement on the cause of the explosion, but the rocket’s failure will likely be a setback for the company’s ambitious plans for interplanetary travel. It is also a reminder of the risks involved in space exploration and the need for rigorous safety protocols.
Despite the setback, SpaceX is already planning for future launches. “We will learn, adjust, and begin preparing for the next test flight,” SpaceX said in a statement. In the meantime, SpaceX and its supporters remain optimistic that Starship and its successors will eventually reach Mars, and that Thursday’s explosion will be seen as a learning experience in the long run.